Phenomenal, Noumenal
by Swythangel
Summary: Aya-chan wakes up. Will Ran be able to tell her about his relationship with Ken?
1. Default Chapter

Author: Swythangel   
Email: swythangel@hotmail.com   
Title: Phenomenal, Noumenal   
Type: Series 1/?   
Teaser: Aya-chan has finally woken up. Will Ran be able to tell his sister about his relationship with Ken?   
Rating: PG   
Spoilers: Er, that Ran has a sister who was comatose the whole series?   
Warnings: AU, yaoi or maybe shonen-ai…   
Disclaimer: Weiß Kreuz is theirs, you know who they are so I won't even elaborate on that ^o^   
Keywords: Aya, Ran, Ken, RanxKen 

No, don't kill me for adding yet another ficcie to my unfinished ones mournful look>the plot bunnies just didn't want to leave me alone. cries and burns plot bunnies>   
And Yes, I'm Ken-centric, damnit! I can't help it. My muse seems to have taken a liking to Ken. Whee! Whee! Now all you have to decide is whether Ran or Youji is my muse lol> Or maybe Brad ahohoho!   
Wai! blinks>I promise Gott will come out soon…and Despite Everything too…geh! I forgot Elan Vital falls over>. Oh and I forgot to thank everyone who commented on Elan Vital….domo, domo! 

**Phenomenal, Noumenal**   
**Part 1**

"Ohayo, Ran-niisan!" 

A raven haired beauty burst into the kitchen with a brilliant smile, throwing herself at the stoic redhead puttering about it, busy with breakfast. 

Ran looked up from the eggs he had been frying to look at the beaming girl wrapped around his waist. He bestowed her with a slight smile, the kind that made his face light up. 

"Ohayo, Aya." 

Seeing that smile, everyone could tell just how happy Ran was now that Aya had at last woken up from her coma. 

"Ohayo, Omi-kun, Youji-kun, Ken-kun!" 

Aya loosened her hold on her brother and waved at the three boys seated on the table. And everyone smiled back at her. Youji shook his head and sighed. The kid had obviously been hanging around Omi too much. The –kun appended to each of their names was a dead giveaway. 

Ken grinned. He had heard Youji's sigh and knew why. The tall blond didn't exactly hate being called Youji-kun but at 9 AM, it was too early in the morning (for Youji that is) for him to stand for any kind of cuteness. 

Ken stood up and pulled back a chair from the table and bowed towards Aya. 

"My lady? Will you join us for a spot of breakfast?" 

Aya chuckled appreciatively and sat down in the chair Ken offered, smiling up at her "knight". 

"Why thank you, good sir. Its nice to know that chivalry hadn't died altogether while I was asleep." 

It was Aya's way of joking about her sickness the last few years. She had completely accepted the fact that years of her life had gone by without her being aware of it and moved on. Ran had thought that some ranting would have been in order but it had never been Aya's way. 

She had been shocked of course and her eyes had flashed angrily after Ran had told her about Takatori but after having a little go at a gym's punching bag, she had returned, clear-headed and calm. 

She had no use for rants and anger, especially when it would not be able to bring back what she had lost. She would make the best of what she had. After all, she still had her oniisan with her. *And* she had gained 3 other "oniisans" who were as sweet in their own way as Ran was. They never made her feel out of place. Each trying to make her feel at home. 

With Youji, Aya felt like a girl, a very desirable girl. Youji outrageously flirted and teased her. As if trying to make up for the lost times Aya should have had at school, with boys her age. Aya knew enough not to take it all seriously though because she knew Youji hadn't meant it to be serious in the first place. But she did enjoy the attention and the banter. She wouldn't be a woman if she didn't. 

Omi was her partner-in-crime. Omi always helped her with her assignments and talked to her more often than most of them, making her laugh with his antics. He would also indulge her, more often than not, with her caprices. He was the best friend she never had. Even now that she was quickly gaining friends in school, she still liked Omi best. 

With Ken, Aya was completely at ease. The brunette was completely open and guileless. Sometimes Aya felt like she was older than Ken. Years older. Especially when the brunette would clown around or trip in the flower shop. But there were times that she accidentally looked at Ken and found a different Ken in front of her. She then understood that Ken did the things he did for everyone's sake. She had learned not to underestimate him again. 

And her oniisan? He was….different, far different from the laughing, open Ran that she had known before she went under. Gone were the trusting eyes, replaced by wariness that would only shift to tenderness when he looked at her. He had gone through many things while she slept, all for her. She was grateful, and she had told him so. 

Her personal mission now was to find some way to make her oniisan happy. Because he deserved it. 

And maybe, she could also find a way to make the others happy. They were too endearing. Never mind that they were assassins. Yes, she knew what they were. And she didn't care. They had their reasons for doing it and Aya was not going to argue about it. 

"Here, Aya. Eat up. You still have to go to school ne?" 

Ran's deep voice intruded into Aya's thoughts as he put in a healthy plate of bacon and eggs in front of her. 

"Domo, Oniisan!" She beamed. 

_/You deserve so many things, Ran-niisan./_

*** 

"Goodbye, Ran-niisan! See you tonight!" 

Aya waved her bag around in an arc as she walked away with Omi in the direction of the school. 

"Is she gone?" 

Ken looked at Ran from the kitchen, bangs falling into his face as he peered out into the hallway. Ran shut the door and turned to face him, quirking an eyebrow at Ken as he nodded once. He held out a hand and Ken half-walked, half-ran to twine his hand with Ran's. 

As their hands met, Ran tugged at their entwined hands, pulling the other into the shelter of his arm. He engulfed the smaller boy in a tight hug, resting his chin on top of the chestnut locks, breathing in the fresh scent of his lover. 

They stayed like this for a time, enjoying the quietness of just being together. It was Ken who broke the comfortable silence first, stirring in Ran's arms. He raised troubled eyes to the redhead. 

"I dislike doing this, Ran. I hate sneaking around behind Aya-chan's back." 

Ran couldn't say a word. He knew where Ken was leading to. In truth, he hated sneaking behind Aya's back too. But how did one tell one's own sister that he was homosexual? That he loved another man? What if she did not understand? 

"Ran?" 

He looked down into the cinnamon eyes he had found himself drowning in, not so long ago and tried to reassure Ken. 

"I hate it too Ken. Aya has a right to know as well. Soon, we'll tell her soon." 

"She'll understand, Ran. I know she will. In the short time that I've known her, she's been very open-minded and mature." 

Even as Ken voiced the reassuring words, there was still some doubt in Ran's mind. No matter how much strength and open-mindedness they might attribute to his sister, she was still human. No matter how much he might love her, he also knew how capricious she could be at times too… 

But that was a thought best left unsaid. Ken didn't have to know or he'd worry it to death. Ken was good at worrying things to death. Ran smiled at the image of a worrying Ken, amused. It was an irritating trait, worrying, but in Ken, he found it endearing. Endearing…like most of Ken's foibles were to him. 

He looked down at the said worrywart in his arms fondly and reassured him. 

"Yes, Ken, she'll understand." 

_/She will have to. I don't want to give you up./_

TBC 

^_~ And as always, I hope you all like it. cute look at lovely people>Comments onegai? 

Whee! A little plugging before I go...there's a Ranken mailing list already so ranken fans, go subscribe to yahoo groups ne? 

Title Explanation:   
Like Elan Vital, the title has been taken from a philosophy book. ^o^ Wai! This time this has been extracted from Kant's philosophy. Phenomenal reality refers to the world as we experience it and noumenal realtiy as the purely intelligible or nonsensual reality. If you want a lengthier explanation, email me privately and we can grimace>discuss this. How it relates to the fic? Well, read it to find out. It may have connections or maybe I have just taken a fancy to using the title lol> yes, I'm evil. ^-^v 


	2. Part 2: Revelation

Author: Swythangel   
Email: swythangel@hotmail.com   
Title: Phenomenal Noumenal   
Type: Series 2/?   
Teaser: Aya-chan has finally woken up. Will Ran be able to tell his sister about his relationship with Ken?   
Rating: PG   
Spoilers: Er, that Ran has a sister who was comatose the whole series?   
Warnings: AU, yaoi or maybe shonen-ai…   
Disclaimer: Weiß Kreuz is theirs, you know who they are so I won't even elaborate on that ^o^   
Keywords: Aya, Ran, Ken, RanxKen

Bradley is officially my muse lol> because I'm hidoii (meanie) and am evil, evil, evil. You'll find out why in this part. ^-^ And yes, I needed to put Yotan in. Whee! Whee! Because I want him in. stubborn look> Youken is as nice as Ranken and BradKen ahohohoho!

Anyway, thanks are in order for everyone who reviewed this. Such lovely comments.glomps the lovely people.> I never realized Aya-chan had that pull on people lol>. I hope you like this still ^^. Enough talk and on with the Ran torture, er, story, I mean, story…

**Phenomenal Noumenal**   
**Part 2** "Kawaii!"

"What's kawaii?"

Ran, Ken, Youji and Omi craned their necks at what had perked Aya's interest in their surroundings. It was very surprising to find the young girl amused at anything, especially in the mall. A fact that puzzled Ran.

Ran was in a perpetual state of confusion when it came to his sister. In his meager experience with girls, he had found that most of them loved the mall because going to the mall meant shopping. He had even seen one girl go into unparalleled squeals of ecstasy when the mall had a sale. But Aya seemed not to share this interest.

Yes, she did like shopping and she dragged a grumbling Omi into store after store. But she wasn't altogether crazy about it. She seemed to like other things better. That was all.

Even Ken knew that when they asked her if she wanted to go to the mall, she'd just say yes so she could go with them. Youji teased her that she just wanted to be the center of all the feminine jealousy generated by having four good looking guys with her.

And in a way, Youji was right. Aya was a girl after all and she loved the satisfaction of knowing she was with the most handsome males around. She knew it must be mean of her to think so but it felt so good to know that she was envied for her company. She even found the dagger looks amusing.

But that wasn't what had caught her attention today as she tried to discreetly point out something to the four curious guys with her.

"Look at the couple on my left side…"

"Where? I don't see anyone."

"Maybe it would help if you lowered those glasses of yours." Ran said dryly, himself trying to peer at the place Aya was talking about.

"Ran is right, Youji. We are in a mall after all. I don't see why you have to wear such dark glasses." Ken said laughingly.

"You people just don't understand how to be cool."

Omi snorted. "What's so cool about walking around half-blind, Youji-kun?"

"Tch. Some people just don't have any fashion sense." Youji slipped his darkened glasses lower on his nose to get a good look.

Aya burst out laughing, amused at Youji.

"Oi, Aya-chan! What did you want us to look at?" Omi prodded Aya.

"The couple, Omiitchi. The couple in the Baskin-Robbins ice cream store."

"Nani? I don't see any couple…all I see is those two guys sitting there eating ice cream." Youji said, trying to skip the part that one of the guys was feeding the other some ice cream and looking sweet about it. They were obviously gay. And Youji tried not say it. It wasn't that Youji had any issues on gay couples, hell, ***he*** was bisexual. It was just that he didn't think Aya was ready to see such things.

"Precisely."

"NANI?"

Youji looked shocked and stared at Aya for a long time, a strangled sound issuing from his throat. Aya looked up at the scandalized blonde with laughing eyes.

"Horrors, did I shock you, Youji-kun?" She shrugged and grinned mischievously. "Oh, don't be such a prude. Just because I was asleep for such a long time doesn't mean I don't know about gay couples."

"And you don't find anything wrong with that?"

Aya turned to find Ken looking at her with an intensity in his clear brown eyes that Aya had never seen before. His question had a probing quality to it that Aya noticed too.

_/Interesting. Can Ken-kun be gay by any chance?/_

With a wide grin, she answered Ken. "Hai, hai. I don't see anything wrong with it.

"Er, ah…" Ken blushed. "What if it was one of us who was gay then? Would that be alright with you?"

If it wasn't clear before, it was clear to Aya now. Ken's attempts at probing were really making it painfully obvious.

_/Ken-kun is definitely gay. And how sweet, he wants my approval./_

"I wouldn't care a jot." She announced cheerfully, flipping her hair in carefree abandon as she looked at the stammering Ken with bright happy eyes. "In fact, I'd even help get whoever it is a boyfriend."

She looked at her prudish, protective brother as she finished the sentence, trying to gauge if Ran would be shocked by his imoto's revelation but the redhead just glanced at her with hooded eyes, his emotions hidden in the violet depths. As usual, he stood there behind her, glaring at the passing males who even dared to look at Aya.

_/Well, that would mean he isn't shocked, which is good. I wouldn't want Ran-niichan to disapprove of me./_

"Aya-chan, you're a yaoi enthusiast!" Omi said laughingly.

Her attention left Ran, riveted by her best friend's declaration.

"Well, you'll never hear me deny it Omiitchi."

Omi and Youji burst out laughing.

"Incidentally, Ken-kun, why did you ask?" Aya said to Ken, mischievously, knowing the brunette would be embarrassed.

Ken turned a brilliant scarlet.

"Er, no reason. No reason at all." After which he pointed at one of the stores.

"Oh, oh, look! There's the sporting goods store I wanted to go to. I need to buy a new soccer ball. C'mon Youji."

Aya laughed as Ken managed to drag Youji to the sporting goods store, followed by Omi. The boy was obviously trying to avoid the question. He was so transparent and endearing. Aya thought to herself.

_/Ken-kun, gay. Well, those poor girl fans of his at the flower shop…but still, what an endearing thought. I wonder who he's in-love with?/_

Aya looked at Ken with heightened interest. Certainly it had to be one of the members of Weiß. Ken-kun doesn't spend enough time with anyone else for it to be an outsider. But who among the guys?

_/Certainly not with Omiitchi. Ken treats him like a brother. But Yotan? Hmmnnn…./_

She looked at Ken again and saw him whack Youji in the back of his head for something the blonde said and glaring ineffectually at the non-apologetic blond devil. Youji always loved riling Ken…and Ken always reacted so cutely. Aya smiled.

_/Sou, sou. It must be Yotan. This is so kakkoi. I have to help them get together then./_

It shouldn't be too difficult. Because she knew Yotan was bi. He had tried to conceal it but she had seen Youji flirt with a very handsome policeman when he thought she hadn't been looking at him.

She couldn't contain her delight. No girl could ever resist playing matchmaker. Even Aya. And her mind was already trying to form a plan to get the two together.

_/Maybe I can get Omiitchi and Ran-niisan to help me. And what better time to try and recruit oniisan than now?/_

Ran had stayed back as the other three went into the sporting goods store just as Aya had. Aya didn't like the smell of basketball rubber and politely waited by the store's window. Ran stayed behind because of her. Ran was an awfully protective brother.

She hooked an arm around her oniisan and grinned cheerily up at him.

"Don't you think Yotan and Ken-kun would make a really nice couple, Ran-niisan?"

"…."

Used to having Ran sometimes not answering, Aya plunged on, looking at Youji and Ken through the transparent glass window of the store.

"Look how well they get along."

"Aya-chan, they're bickering." Ran snorted.

"They're teasing," Aya said defensively, "they do that because they really like each other. I mean they spend so much time together don't they? They do, really, especially when we all go out together. See, see, they're practically ignoring Omiitchi there."

Aya was actually trying to work out Ken and Youji's relationship with herself and wasn't paying attention to Ran at all. If she had, she would have seen the mask Ran always wore slip for a minute as his eyes narrowed dangerously at the brunette and the blond clowning around inside the store.

Ken ***did* **spend a lot of time with Youji when they went out. He had always told Ran that he did it to alleviate any trace of suspicion that they were a couple, that it was for their's and Aya's sake. But now that Aya had pointed out the fact that they ignored Omi, it put things in a different perspective.

Ken and Youji had always been close before. And Youji had come on to Ken once too. In fact it had been the main catalyst why Ran and Ken got together. To have it pointed out to Ran that Youji and Ken would make a nice couple made him think.

Was Youiji coming onto Ken again? After all this would be the perfect time to do so, what with Ran having trouble spending time with Ken, especially when he was having a devil of a time concealing it from Aya.

"So don't you think they'd make a nice couple, Ran-niisan?"

_/Not bloody likely./_

"No."

Ran's tone was a little too curt as he said it, jealousy eating him alive at having Aya-chan approving Ken's relationship with Youji.

"Hidoii na!"

Before Ran could even reply, Aya squealed. "Oh, oh, look at that."

Ran looked at the window in startlement, never ever having heard Aya squeal before, and promptly saw Youji tapping a finger on a glaring Ken's nose.

At anytime at all, he would have dismissed it as a friendly gesture on the taller blonde's part. But now that his doubts have resurfaced, he saw red, bright bright red. If he had his katana with him, he would have gripped it tight in his two hands and swiped at the older Weiß. It was all he could do not to rush in and stand between the two as it was. His only motivation not to do so was the thought that Aya-chan would think it strange.

He was so angry, he almost didn't hear Aya's smug voice.

"Hah! I told you they'd make a nice couple. That's just so kawaii!"

It took him an inhuman amount of control to resist the urge to glower at his dear imoto. She didn't know, after all and it wouldn't do to frighten off his sister especially when she was innocent.

Tomorrow. He thought to himself. Tomorrow he would tell Aya his relationship with Ken. Then maybe, everything would get back to normal.

_/After all, how hard can it be to tell her that I love Ken. She practically went into ecstatic fits at the thought of Ken being gay. How hard can it be for me to come out and say that I am too?/_

TBC

What trials and travails await Ran and Ken in the next part? Will Aya-chan be able to accept them? And don't I sound like a dad-blasted soap opera announcer?

What about Yotan?   
Youji: Yeah what about me?

^_~ Am I really hidoii to Ran-kun? Resounding YES! But I needed something to get the story going…   
Ran: That and you just bloody love torturing me.   
Swyth-chan: That too grin> anyway, comments onegai, lovely people.


	3. Found Out

Author: Swythangel   
Email: swythangel@hotmail.com   
Title: Phenomenal Noumenal   
Type: Series 3/7   
Teaser: Aya-chan has finally woken up. Will Ran be able to tell his sister about his relationship with Ken?   
Rating: PG   
Spoilers: Er, that Ran has a sister who was comatose the whole series?   
Warnings: AU, yaoi or maybe shonen-ai…   
Disclaimer: Weiß Kreuz is theirs, you know who they are so I won't even elaborate on that ^o^   
Keywords: Aya, Ran, Ken, RanxKen

Whee! Minna-san noticed that I've already put a number on this little ficcie…that's right 3/7 ^-^ beams at all of you> and I'm damn well going to try and keep it at 7 or shorter. Whee! Whee! Because if I don't I'll never make any progress on the other ficcies ^^;   
Ok this is a little bit sappy happy with a bit of forced humor in it lol> I just had to put in Guilty Gear 2 because they are so bishounen and I am so in love with Testament and KY Kiske ^-^;. (I'm strange I know!)   
Anyway, onward with the ficcie…

**Phenomenal Noumenal**   
**Part 3**

"Its past midnight. That's enough television for the day, young lady. Get off to bed."

Ran stood up and closed the television set, giving Aya a little push in the direction of the stairs.

"Alright, Ran-niisan! Oyasumi!"

Aya waved a cheerful good night at him and climbed the stairs with an angelic smile that could have fooled anyone except Ran.

Normally Aya liked to stay up as late as 2 in the morning and would lock wills with Ran just to get her way. Tonight was the sole exception. Ran would have been surprised, really, if he hadn't known what his sister was up to with the complacent attitude and smile. But he did. Omi had inadvertently let it slip when he made a passing comment in Koneko just yesterday.

The smiling angelic girl had asked Omi to rig up the Dreamcast in his bedroom, which was conveniently situated right across Aya's room. Devious of her, Ran chuckled, but he had been one step ahead. He had asked Omi to lend out the Dreamcast to anyone of his acquaintance. Actually, bullied would be a better word. And Aya was going to have quite a surprise when he went into Omi's room.

_/Never try to outwit your elder brother, Aya-chan. I'll always be one step ahead of you./_

Ran loved his sister dearly but love did not extend to late night television watching or playing video games. Not when tomorrow was a school day. Besides, Ran had an ulterior motive for ushering his sister to bed.

He wanted to be with Ken. Badly.

After that fiasco in the mall today, he needed some assurance that everything with Youji had just been harmless banter on the brunette's part.

He missed holding Ken too.

Ran ascended the stairs, peering down the hallway to make sure that Aya wasn't anywhere around. One could never be sure. And Aya had this penchant to pop out of the unlikeliest places.

The coast was clear. Ran padded silently to Ken's door and was just going to turn the knob when he heard voices inside Ken's room.

Very familiar voices.

"Aw, come on, Youji, do it, please? I want you to do it. I've been wanting you to do it since God-knows-when."

"No! And stop trying to persuade me with those melting brown eyes."

_/Just what are they trying to do?/ _Ran's eyes narrowed into slits.

"Why won't you?"

"Because it isn't fair, damn it!"

"Well, no one's ever going to know, Yotan. Just the two of us here. And I'm not complaining, am I?"

Ken was using the coaxing pleading tone Ran knew so well. The tone of voice he couldn't resist. Nor Youji for that matter.

"Oh, shit. You don't fight fair, Ken. You know I'd do anything when you say it like that. Alright, I'm gonna do it."

_/Do what?/_ There was a panicked edge to Ran's thought. _/Are they going to do what I think they're going to do?/_

"Hang on tight, though. This is going to be a rough ride."

_/They are! No I won't allow it. Not with my Ken, son of a bitch!/_

He opened the door quickly. He was going to stop Youji from taking advantage of his Ken. No matter that Ken had been the one begging. Such things didn't factor in the equation.

Ran stepped inside the room announcing in a voice hard with anger. "I forbid it." His gaze had been riveted on Ken's bed which was where he had expected to find the two. The bed sat in unwrinkled splendor, bereft of anything except for the sheets.

Ran became confused. _/Not on the bed?/_

Violet eyes swept the room to find Ken and Youji sprawled on the messy carpeted floor of Ken's room, right in front of the glaring television set and Omi's Dreamcast console, holding controllers and staring at him with equally confused expressions.

"Ran!"

Ran felt the heat spread through his pale cheeks.

"Er, I didn't know you cared about Guilty Gear that much, Ran." Youji grinned and turned back to Ken. "See, even Ran agrees with me, it's just not fair to use Testament in the Survival Stages."

"Well, I just wanted to see the cool dude in action. I'd do it myself but you know I can't handle him right!"

"Admit it Kenken you just want to see the bad boy get it on and if you handled him, you'd be too distracted *staring* to even *think* about playing."

As the two bickered, Ran strove to control his blush. He had let his imagination run away. Fortunately the two seemed oblivious to his embarrassment, being immersed in bickering with each other to notice.

Bits and pieces of his conversation with Aya-chan drifted back. The longer Ran looked at the bickering twosome, the more his eyes heated up, so much that they resembled twin stars about to go nova.

"It's getting late, Kudou. Don't you have to go to bed?"

"Oi, Oi, Youji, Ran's right. Its almost 1 already and you're set to open the shop tomorrow. You'd better get going or you'll never wake up tomorrow."

Ken didn't notice Ran's hard tone as he glanced up at the clock but Youji did, and the blond looked at the Weiß leader in surprise.

_/Ran's jealous? But I thought we cleared that ages ago./_

Youji shrugged. So what if their estimable leader was jealous, he was having too much fun playing with Ken.

"Hey, I'm on a roll here with my man Sol. Just 30 minutes more."

Ken thwacked Youji.

"No! I'm the one who's going to have to drag your sorry butt out of bed if you oversleep. Now go to bed!"

"Hmph!" Youji tilted his head up and pretended to be put out. "See if I ever try and get ***your* **sorry ass out of bed next time you oversleep."

Ken laughed. "You wouldn't have to, Youji, I never oversleep like you do."

Youji grinned. That was true. Ken almost always woke up early. And by the looks of Ran's face, even if Ken did oversleep, he would be the one doing the waking up and not Youji.

"Alright, you win. I'm going."

Just before he closed the door, Youji saucily looked back at Ran and Ken and said with an impish smile. "You're just throwing me out because you want Ran all to yourself. And I'm betting you won't even *use* the Dreamcast."

There, that should assure great Leader that he didn't have any intention of coming between Ken and him. And with that he quickly exited the room, just making it out in time before the pillow that Ken threw hit the door with a dull thud.

"Silly Youji!" Ken said, blushing madly, as he picked up the pillow he threw and placed it back where it belonged. "C'mon Ran, we'll show Youji. Let's play some Guilty Gear! I'll even let you play as my favorite…KY Kiske."

"I don't play those things."

Ken looked at Ran with puppy dog eyes, the kind that sent the brown depths swimming. "Not even for me?"

"No."

Ran looked at Ken with half-closed eyes. He had other things in mind other than a video game.

"Come here."

Ken quirked up an eyebrow and put his hands on his hips. "And do you think I'll just come running when you say so? Just when you turned me down too. That's a high-handed attitude Ran Fujimiya."

Ran quirked an eyebrow in reply. He wasn't in the mood to play doting lover. He stayed silent and feigned leaving Ken's room. The brunette just stayed where he was with a determined expression on his face. Ran wasn't bothered. He knew Ken enough by now. He started counting.

1…

He could hear Ken shift his weight from foot to foot behind him as he reached about halfway of the distance to the door.

2…

The muffled sound of footsteps sounded on the carpet. Ran reached for the knob.

3…

Ran turned abruptly and opened his arms just in time to catch Ken who had launched himself at him. Satisfaction filled him as he relished the feeling of having Ken filling his arms. There was a disappointed expression on Ken's features though so he turned questioning eyes to meet bronze ones.

"You know me so well." Ken griped at him in reply, sensing the question in Ran's gaze. "I can't even tackle you without you knowing it."

Ran's negative mood was effectively banished by Ken's seemingly silly words. No matter what mood he was in, Ken always seem to manage to charm him out of it, consciously or not. It was one of Ken's most adoring traits. One Ran cherished.

_/You are so good for me, Ken./_

"We could try again if you want."

"Baka. Where would the surprise be in it? Or the fun?"

Ran's face broke into one of his full-out smiles. The smile that made his face light up and banished the almost too serious expression on his face, making him irresistible. Not too many people saw this smile, seldom did Youji or Omi see it. Aya and Ken were more fortunate than most people but no matter how man times Ken saw it, it still took his breath away.

A tender smile made it to Ken's face and he put out a hand to trace the smile on Ran's lips.

"You should smile like this when we're with the others more often, Ran. Its too beautiful to hide."

"Then maybe you should always stay close to me, Ken Hidaka. So you'll be able to remind me to smile more often."

And with those quiet words, Ran's mouth swooped down to cover Ken's own.

Youji was right. The Dreamcast never got used that night.

***

Twitter! Chirp!

Ken Hidaka opened his eyes to the sound of chirping birds in his open window.

_/Oh, gods! Is it morning already?/_

Ken blinked once, looked at the clock on his dresser and decided to go back to bed.

_/Its still early yet. And I have the afternoon shift in the flower shop anyway./_

Ken tried to turn over to burrow himself back on the bed, yanking at the sheets. He was met by resistance. Something was obstructing his efforts. He looked over to see what had pinned the sheets and saw Ran sleeping on the other side of the bed, curled up facing him.

Ken remembered their evening tryst. The redhead had fallen asleep after last night and had forgotten to go back to his room. He smiled down at the sleeping Ran, taking in the relaxed features of his lover with enjoyment. He didn't wake Ran up because he wanted to make the moment of watching Ran sleep last.

He loved watching Ran when he was asleep because in sleep, all the emotional shields that Ran wore when he was awake came down and all that was left was Ran, Ran as he would have been had all the tragedies not taken place.

Ken loved Ran like this, in his room, naked, in bed with him.

And this did not happen often enough anymore. Ever since Aya woke up and Ran had thought it dangerous to spend the night together. All that had been left them were quick snatched moments. Not that Ken was complaining. He could understand the situation Ran was in.

After all, Ken knew how much Ran loved his imoto. If it had been Ken, he wouldn't have known what to do either. Ken sighed as he wondered when they were going to come out and tell Aya about their relationship.

_/We'll get to the bridge when we get to it, I suppose. In the meantime I have to wake up Sleeping Beauty here before Aya-chan wakes up. Now let's see, what's the best way to wake up a grouchy, non-morning person.../_

Ken smiled widely and leaned down the sleeping Ran's form. "Wake up, Sleeping Beauty!" He whispered and kissed Ran on the mouth softly.

Eyelids flew open to reveal purple eyes fuzzy with sleep and Ken brushed back stray fiery strands from Ran's eyes as he ended the quick kiss.

"Ohayo, Ran."

Ran blinked once and smiled back at Ken, his eyes taking in Ken's disheveled hair and naked chest. It was a hell of a way to wake up to in the morning. A very pleasant way to wake up.

"Come back down here and finish what you started."

Ken arched his brows and quirked a smile at him. "What? Back to ordering me around are you? Well, I'm not taking any of that, Ran Fujimiya, you can't just…"

Ken wasn't able to finish what he was saying as Ran quickly got up from his prone position to cover Ken's mouth in a passionate kiss.

Immersed in the soul-searching kiss Ran was giving him, Ken didn't hear the impatient knocks on the door, nor did Ran for that matter. If the door had been locked, everything would have been fine but the pair had forgotten that they hadn't locked the door last night when Youji left.

And so it was that the knocker who got tired of the unresponsive occupant of the room, turned the knob and promptly burst in the room in a cheery greeting…

"Ohayo, Ken-ku…."

"Shit! Aya-chan!"

Ken and Ran disengaged from the compromising position to see the raven-haired girl staring, horrified, at them.

_/This looks bad./ _Ken thought as he tried to appear as unconscious of his nakedness as possible.

"Aya! I can explain…" Ran started out…but his words fell on silent walls as the long-haired beauty he called his imoto ran out of the room still wearing the shocked horrified expression.

Ran sprang from the bed then and frantically looked for his scattered clothing, putting them on in haste. As soon as he was fully dressed, he looked at Ken. "I..I have to follow her."

Ken nodded and looked at him with comforting eyes. It was all he could offer the distraught Ran at the moment.

With a slight nod of his head, Ran left.

_/This was not how I pictured this encounter would go. Damn it! I hope everything will be alright. Dear God! Please let everything be all right../_

TBC ^_~

Magic Words, magic words. And if you don't know the magic words by now I'd be disappointed. Very very disappointed. lol>Kidding. The magic words are of course "Comments, onegai?" ahohoho!   
  



	4. Breaking Up

Author: Swythangel   
Email: swythangel@hotmail.com   
Title: Phenomenal Noumenal   
Type: Series 4/7   
Teaser: Aya-chan has finally woken up. Will Ran be able to tell his sister about his relationship with Ken?   
Rating: PG   
Spoilers: Er, that Ran has a sister who was comatose the whole series?   
Warnings: AU, yaoi or maybe shonen-ai…   
Disclaimer: Weiß Kreuz is theirs, you know who they are so I won't even elaborate on that ^o^   
Keywords: Aya, Ran, Ken, RanxKen

Angst, angst and more angst in this installment. Then again, what's new ne? ^^ And hwee! Didn't I get this done fast? Because I realized just how much of a cliffhanger the other part was…gomen, gomen!   
Well, my mailbox has just been fixed so I'm actually happy…I'm so mail-deprived lol>   
Onwards with ficcie I guess…

**Phenomenal Noumenal**   
**Part 4**

"Oi, Oi! Ken! Watch what you're doing will you? You just burned my eggs! Now what'll I have for breakfast?"

Ken looked up to find Youji yanking the burning pan from the stove and dumping the contents in the sink with a disgusted look on his face.

"G…gomen, Youji. I was thinking about something. Here, I'll cook you another batch."

Ken opened the refrigerator and took out some more eggs while Youji responded to his statement with a leer.

"Last night was that good eh?"

Ken blushed and swatted Youji with the towel he was holding. "Hentai! And no, that wasn't what I was thinking about."

"It was that bad?

Ken rolled his eyes. "Will you quit thinking about that? It isn't the thing I'm thinking about alright? Well actually its part of it but…"

"Aha! I knew it was the sex!"

Youji had this really smug look on his face that Ken couldn't help but get annoyed. He whacked Youji over the head…hard.

"No, it isn't! Only you would think in terms of that."

Youji just smiled lazily and reclined on the kitchen chair. "Hey I got to be me."

By this time, Youji had noticed the troubled air around Ken. And if anything, Youji wasn't as obtuse as everyone seemed to think. Ken never burned any of his meals before, well, at least not after the first months. For him to burn the eggs now, would mean that he had a problem more worthy of attention than Youji's breakfast. He blinked once as he saw Ken's brows furrow with concern.

"So, seriously, Ken, what seems to be the problem?"

Ken sighed and turned to Youji, dumping the eggs in a plate and serving them to the sitting blond. He pulled out a chair next to the older man, sat down and buried his head in his arms.

"Aya knows about Ran and I."

"Ey? Sugoi! Hey that's good news then." Youji smiled. He knew how hard it had been for both Ran and Ken since Aya woke up. Their attempts at creeping around behind Aya's back had always served Youji as a constant source for amusement.

"Not good."

"Wha? Why isn't that good? Now you two can display affection even when Aya's around."

"Aya saw us in bed, naked."

Youji who had started eating, spluttered and choked on the eggs. "Whhaaaaaaattt? She saw you two in bed, naked and…and kissing?"

"Yes, exactly like that." Ken said, shaking his head.

"Damn." Youji said, forgetting his eggs in favor of the brunette in front of him. "Then what happened?"

"She ran out of the room with this really horrified expression on her face."

"Shit."

"Deep shit." Ken agreed. "Ran's talking to her right now and its been an hour. I don't think this is going to be good."

***

"Aya, please understand."

"No."

The raven-haired girl wasn't even looking at Ran at all but kept a fixed gaze out of her window. There was a stubborn cast to her chin and her face looked like a thundercloud.

Ran had been trying to explain his relationship with Ken for the past hour but all he had been getting from his sister had been dagger looks and negative monosyllables. He had intended to calmly explain, hoping that his dear sister would understand but he had forgotten just how stubborn Aya could be. She had turned a deaf ear to everything he said.

His patience was frayed at the ends.

"You fairly glowed with excitement when you found out Ken was gay, you even said you'd help find him a boyfriend. Well, he has one now, me. You should be happy."

"I want Ken with someone else. Not with you, never with you, Ran-niisan!" Aya burst out at last, breaking her self-imposed silence. "How can I be happy that my brother is gay?"

Dawning understanding broke through Ran's anger. "That's a double standard reaction, Aya, I'm sure you know." He told her quietly.

"I know. But I can't help it. I can take Youji, Omi and Ken-kun being gay, I'd even love it. But not you, never my brother."

Ran shook his head. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Aya-chan but this is who I am. You will just have to accept that."

"No!" Aya shouted. "You cannot, you are *not* gay."

"I am. There's no changing that."

"No."

Aya knew she was being deliberately stubborn and illogical but she couldn't help it. She knew she wasn't being fair and that her brother was right. She *was* imposing a double standard on her views. Why was it that she could take others being gay but not her own brother?

If she was truthful with her brother, she knew that the answer was quite simple. She still thought that gays were not normal. No matter how liberal she acted, she was still just a little bit conservative in her views. It was all very well for others like her friends to be gay but to have a member of her family *be* gay? She couldn't take it. Just as she couldn't take finding Ran-niisan and Ken naked in Ken's bed, kissing. It was just wrong.

Her eyes hardened and she faced Ran who stood from across the room.

"I cannot, will not accept your relationship with Ken, Ran-niisan."

She was not surprised to find purple eyes hardening in response.

"I suggest you try to, sister, because there is no way I am giving up Ken."

Ran faced his sister with resolve. Nothing would make him give up Ken. Ken had been the one who had saved him from sinking into the darkness, the one who showed him how much life was worth living, the one who had given him the hope when his desperation over Aya's sickness had almost overwhelmed him. Next to his sister, Ken was his most precious treasure. Aya needed to understand that.

"You would choose Ken over your own sister?"

Coldness crept into Ran's veins as he looked at Aya. "What are you saying?"

"It is simple really." Aya said calmly, but inside her heart pounded. She knew she was putting her oniisan in a terrible spot but she couldn't help it. "if you choose to keep your relationship with Ken then I will go away from here. I can't respect a brother who actually has a relationship with another male."

"And where can you go?"

Aya shrugged. "Here, there, anywhere. I'm sure I can always find a bit of work or something…"

Ran's protective instinct took over. "No. I forbid it."

"How can you forbid it if you aren't my brother anymore? If you choose Ken over me, then you give over your right as my brother."

"That isn't very logical, Aya-chan."

"No it isn't but you can't really prevent me from doing it can you, Ran-niisan? You can't monitor my movements everyday. One day you'll wake up and see that I'm not there anymore."

"And if I concede?"

"Then everything will be as before. I'll even treat Ken-kun the same way."

Ran was quiet, standing near the door of Aya's room, frozen in place. He was like a statue, unmoving. The rise and fall of his chest was the only indication that he was alive…that and the roiling purple depths of his eyes.

Seconds stretched into minutes in the silence of the room. The Fujimiya siblings locked in battle.

Finally, Ran spoke up.

"You win, Aya-chan."

It came as no surprise to Aya. She knew that her brother loved her above everything. Ths feint had been her trump card. From the first, she knew that she would eventually get her way.

"No staying with Ken alone under any circumstances."

The affirmative Ran threw Aya's way was strangled, pained. "Yes."

"Then we have a deal."

"Only…give me this last time to talk to him, to tell him the situation."

Aya gestured expansively. "Of course. I understand, Ran-niisan."

And with that, Ran swung on his heels and left Aya's room quickly. But not quickly enough that Aya did not see the pain of loss in his eyes.

_/How can I be so cruel to Ran-niisan?/_

Aya slid bonelessly to the floor, the emotional riptides she had been forced to hide for the past hour taking their toll on her.

She ached for her brother but she was still of the firm belief that she was right. She shook her head. _/No, I shouldn't think like this. I am only doing this for Ran-niisan's good./_

She remembered the look of loss in the purple depths.

_/That will pass, Ran-niisan. Please understand that I do this for your own good. How can you be happy with another man? You'll be better off without him…I promise./_

***

Ran barged into the kitchen, not even stopping to greet Youji and Omi a good morning. He went straight to where Ken was cooking Omi some eggs and tugged at his arm. "Ken, I need to talk to you."

Ran knew he was wearing his unemotional mask but Ken knew him well enough by now to know when he was upset. And it reflected in the compassionate brown eyes as Ken looked his way and nodded.

"Let's go for a walk."

"Alright." Ken untied the apron strings and set the apron aside. "Oi, Youji. Take over here, will you?"

And with that, Ken followed Ran outside into the summer morning. He looked at the redhead worriedly.

_/Something is bothering, Ran./_

But he didn't speak, Ken knew enough to give Ran the space he needed until the time was right. They walked in silence, Ran in a preoccupied half-trance and Ken in fretful silence. Their wanderings led them to the prominent oak tree standing majestically on the top of the hill. Their tree.

That was when Ken, who had been trailing behind Ran for the last few blocks, walked faster, catching up to Ran who was tracing the interlocked carved pattern on the tree blindly. Two weapons superimposed on each other.

_/Katana…and bugnuk. Mine…and Ken's./_

The first time that they had been officially together, they had carved the two shaky images into the tree rather than their names…a secret code for their secret relationship.

And now, now it would have to be chipped off. Ran thought. Because there would be no relationship anymore, no Ran and Ken. Only Ran. Ken. Youji. Omi. Weiß. And of course, Aya.

Ran felt himself propelled forward a few steps from the impact as two arms surrounded him from behind.

_/Ken…beloved Ken./_

"That bad, huh? Its alright, Ran."

_/No, its not alright! Don't be too kind to me, Ken. I can't take it, not with what I have to do./_

Ran wanted to scream the words out. Seeing Ken being his usual self ripped Ran apart inside. He gently disentangled Ken's arms from around him and walked away a little. He needed the space.

How could he tell Ken that it was all over? Moreover, how could he accept that it was all over between him and Ken especially when he had thought they would be together for the rest of their lives.

_/But I have to…or Aya-chan…/_

Everything eventually went back to Aya. Aya or Ken, the choice had been hard but not hard enough. Aya was, after all, his sister, his blood, he couldn't very well abandon her.

_/And Ken?/_

Ken was sunlight and laughter, openness and love. It had been a hard choice but Ran knew that he could give those up if he had to. He had lived without them for a long time before Ken had arrived, he could live without them again.

But that didn't mean it didn't hurt to give them up, to give Ken up…

_/Remember Aya-chan!/_

It was all Ran needed for his resolve to harden. He looked towards Ken.

"What did Aya-chan say, Ran?" Ran could sense the apprehension in Ken's voice. But he didn't make a move to reassure him.

"I'm afraid its all over Ken."

_/I love you./_

"Wha?" Ken blinked at Ran in surprise. "What did you say?"

"I said its over."

_/I love you. But my sister comes first./_

"But why, Ran?"

"Aya-chan, she doesn't approve…"

"I…I see." Ken told Ran and then he brightened. "But we can still change her mind ne? I mean if she finds out just how serious we are…."

Ran cut in. "You don't understand, Ken. When Aya said she didn't like us going together, she issued an ultimatum."

God, it was hard to explain it to Ken.

"What ultimatum?"

"You or her…"

"I…I see…" Ken turned his back on Ran and went to the tree, his hands absently tracing the katana.

Ken was acting strangely calm and Ran became worried. Usually, the brunette reacted emotionally. Ran strained to see Ken's face but the fall of bangs concealed any expression. All Ran could see was a soft smile playing on Ken's lips.

"And of course, you would choose Aya, ne, Ran?"

"No, Ken, you don't understand, she…"

"You don't need to explain, Ran, if I were in your shoes I'd do the same."

Silence. The pain of knowing this would be the last time they would have together effectively leaving them without the words to say anything.

Ken's hand still traced the katana. "So I…I guess this is it then." Ken turned to face Ran. He was smiling, the kind of smile that made his eyes crinkle at the corners. "It was nice while it lasted, Ran. But I guess all things come to an end too ne?"

Somehow, even with the smile on his face, Ran knew that Ken was trying very hard to hold back the tears. He wanted to take Ken in his arms and assure him that everything was alright and tried to do just that.

_/This once. Just this once, before I relinquish him./_

He advanced forward, only to be startled into stopping as Ken put out a hand and cried out, his smiling mask dropping for a few precious seconds to reveal the panicked hurt and pain.

"Don't!" Ken took a few steps back. "Don't come near me." _/It only makes things harder./_

The smiling mask came back. "My, look at the time. I promised Youji I'd help him in the flower shop today…so I guess I'll just see you around, ne, Ran? Ja!"

And without another word, Ken turned on his heels and ran back to the flower shop, trying hard not to let Ran see the tears that couldn't be stopped anymore. He didn't realize that the morning sun was hitting him just right to make the trailing tears sparkle in the sun or that the redhead standing near the tree on the hilltop had noticed and was himself, trying to hold back the tears.

***

_/Baka! Baka! Baka! Why does it have to this fucking hard? Why can't we just have a happy ending?/_

Ken screamed to himself as he ran. He didn't want to go back to the shop so instead he ran aimlessly, to whatever place his feet took him as his confused thoughts tumbled over each other.

His feet eventually lead him to a nearby park where he collapsed on the edge of a man-made pond. His tears had dried up by then. Instead he stared dejectedly out at the swimming ducks, his thoughts turned inwardly.

He shouldn't have interrupted when Ran was explaining but he knew the redhead enough to actually guess what had happened. Only one thing could make Ran give him up. Aya probably tried to threaten Ran that she would run away…or place herself in mortal danger, nothing else would have worked.

But it still hurt. It had taken everything in Ken not to tell Ran to fight for them, to show Aya how much they loved each other.

That would have thrown Ran into confused guilt. And Ken didn't want that. He didn't want to pit Ran against his beloved imoto because he knew that of all the people in the world, Aya would be Ran's Achillles Heel.

It would only tear Ran apart, not to mention the relationship between the siblings. Ken, who had wanted a similar kind of family relationship, didn't want to be the one to jeopardize Aya's and Ran's.

_/So instead, I make the sacrifice…/_

Nothing new in that, nothing at all. Ken thought to himself as he threw little pebbles in the pond.

When he was ready to leave, he had made a resolution. He would try to get on with his life like everything was normal. He had gone on with Ran before, made a credible job of it, in fact. He would try to remember that time and act like he did before.

_/That doesn't mean I'll stop loving him though…/_

No, it didn't. But Ken knew that he had to at least pretend that everything was alright. For Ran, so he could move on and do as Aya wanted him to. For Aya's peace of mind. And for himself, because he would do anything to stop Ran from suffering.

_/Smile, Ken. That's all you have to do. Smile and go on. Like you always do./_

TBC ^_~

You guys know the drill ne? C-o-m-m-e-n-t-s onegai! Ahohoho! Comments help me write faster. That and because I love hearing from you lovely people.

Don't hate Aya-chan ne? I'm just trying to make this realistic. I know I had the same sort of bias from before…double standards are bitchy to deal with but they're true. Don't blame the person though because sometimes its more on how they were raised and the values inculcated in childhood…besides, Aya-chan will make up for it, won't you, Aya-chan?

Aya: looks at hostile glares from readers> Absolutely.


	5. Tangled Web

Author: Swythangel Author: Swythangel   
Email: swythangel@hotmail.com   
Title: Phenomenal Noumenal   
Type: Series 5/7   
Teaser: Aya-chan has finally woken up. Will Ran be able to tell his sister about his relationship with Ken?   
Rating: PG   
Spoilers: Er, that Ran has a sister who was comatose the whole series?   
Warnings: AU, yaoi or maybe shonen-ai…   
Disclaimer: Weiß Kreuz is theirs, you know who they are so I won't even elaborate on that ^o^   
Keywords: Aya, Ran, Ken, RanxKen 

First and foremost I would like to thank the people who responded to the last part…I was astounded and I love you all giggles and glomps every single one of you>.   
rubs eyes and cries>I tried real hard but this part sucks. Yes, truthfully and honestly sucks. Its lighter and a bit lame but I needed to keep this going. And I realize I'm rationalizing my fic o.Osigh>   
But you will read ne? and be nice to me? beams at you all>   
on with the ficcie… 

**Phenomenal Noumenal**   
**Part 5**

White…endless white…the ceiling on his room was white, a sterile white of blinding brilliance. He never really noticed before but he noticed it now as he stared off into the whiteness, trying to drown himself in non-thought, trying to prevent himself from remembering the scene this morning. 

_/Think of the endless white…drown in it, immerse myself in it, until I become one with it. Anything to stop me from thinking about him…stop me from feeling./_

Ran rolled back on his rumpled bed and buried his head in the crook of his arms. 

_/So hard to do./_

The image of glinting tears trailing from the departing brunette was still in his mind, try as he might to dislodge it, the memory was sheathed in his heart like a sword thrust. It ran over and over in his mind. All throughout the afternoon and this long night. 

But he had no choice. 

No, he had had a choice and he had selected Aya over Ken. Chosen blood over love. And it was the right choice was it not? Ran mused to himself. Or should he have fought for Ken? 

It was all a confused tangle in Ran's mind. All he knew was that Aya, his precious sister, could not, would not accept his relationship with Ken and had reacted irrationally…issued an ultimatum. 

And he had reacted like the protective brother he had always been to her, reacted at the threat to her safety, gave in to her. It was ingrained reflex, born of the situation caused by Takatori and Schwarz, one Ran could not dispute. Nor did he want to. She was his sister, it was only right for him to protect her. 

_/But at the cost of your own happiness?/ _The insinuating thought sneaked into his mind. 

There were many kinds of happiness, many levels. Having Aya safe and happy would also make Ran happy too. It had always sufficed for him before, in the past, before the accident that took his naivete and Aya's youth away from them. It would have to suffice again. 

_/And Ken?/_

Ran's breathing missed a beat at the thought of the soft brown eyes in the vibrant face of the soccer player he had come to love. 

He will find his own happiness. Eventually. It is the way of the world after all. He was not one to mope, he who always stands in the sunlight and revels in its warmth, the one who could smile so openly despite everything that has happened to his life… 

_// "How you can smile after all this is beyond me…" Aya told Ken, shaking his head at the brunette._

_The smile turned gentle and the brown eyes turned into a shade reminiscent of burgundy wine, softly sparkling "Aa. But a smile can cover many things, Ran. It is a mask, just like your stoic glare is. And like all masks, it can serve as sanctuary, something to hide behind when the world gets too close, when the hurt is too much."_

_Before the moment could turn into something cloying, Ken laughed and put his arms around Ran, bumping his nose against his. "Not everyone can pull off a deathglare like yours you know." //_

_/Ken…will you smile then when we see each other after this?/_

Somehow he knew Ken would. An exuberant wave, a cheery greeting accompanied by bright-eyed brilliance and the ever perpetual smile… Nothing of his true feelings would show though, trapped within the walls of forced happiness that was Ken's mask. 

Ran felt the wetness drench his cheeks as the tears he had refused to shed in public came down. Here…in the sanctity of his room he could let go of the iron control he inflicted on himself. Not that it happened often, even alone, he refused to let go of his control. 

_/Aya. Think of Aya, Ran. She is all that matters../_

And with that thought, Ran closed his eyes as sleep claimed his tired body at last. 

*** 

Ran was awakened by the smell of freshly fried bacon and eggs [1] tempting his empty stomach. He didn't want to open his eyes but the tantalizing odors seemed to be just right beside him, which was impossible, unless he unconsciously walked in his sleep and wound up sleeping in the kitchen. 

He splayed a hand on his bed. Well, it was a relief to find out he didn't sleepwalk. But where was the smell coming from then? 

He sniffed. The smell really felt like it was coming from nearby. He opened his eyes…to meet midnight blue eyes peering into his own. 

"Ohayo, Ran-niichan!" 

"A..Aya?" Ran said blearily, sitting up. "What are you doing in my room?" 

Aya thrust a small table unto Ran's lap. "I just thought I'd make you a treat and serve you breakfast in bed." 

So that's where the smell was coming from. Ran thought to himself as he arranged the small table more comfortably on his lap. "What's the occasion?" 

Aya arched an eyebrow and with arms akimbo, glared at Ran. "Hidoii na! Do I need an occasion to make my own brother breakfast in bed?" 

Ran was confused. He was wondering how Aya could turn from the sullen girl from yesterday back to her usual cheery self like nothing had happened. 

"Aya-chan…" Ran told her dryly. "You have never ever made me breakfast in bed…or breakfast for that matter. " _/Ken had always been the one who did that for me./ _"K…Ken's the one who always cooks our breakfast." 

Aya blinked as she realized the truth of her brother's words, a shadow passing over her features as Ran mentioned Ken's name. "Anou…I didn't realize." Then a smug look entered her face. "Well from now on I am going to cook your breakfast for you." 

Ran blinked, dumbfounded. Why was Aya insisting on cooking breakfast? 

"Well, I have to go down and get ready for school. Enjoy your breakfast, Ran-niichan! Ja ne!" 

*** 

"What is the meaning of this?" Youji's sleepily affronted voice was loud in the kitchen. 

Ken didn't even look up from the ham and eggs [2] he was frying to answer the blond seated on the table. He needed all his concentration to cook breakfast. 

"Anou…I found the same thing tacked on my room Youji. And don't glare at me like that, will you? I'm not the one who made the schedule." 

He didn't need to turn around to know that the blond was probably boring a hole on his back for waking him up this early. 

"Then who the fuck did?" 

"Beats me. Hey, it wasn't me! Look, I'm all ready to open up the shop as it was when I saw the note. That's why I woke you up. Now go sit down and eat, Yotan!" 

"Hell, I can't just let this pass you know. I opened the shop yesterday. This isn't fair. Where's Ran? I'll have to ask him about this." Youji snorted. He was pissed off. Mornings were not on his favorite list and waking up early two days in a row made him crankier. 

"Well he isn't…" At that moment, Ken saw Ran enter the kitchen, his heart lurching just a little at the sight of the redhead. "Oh, here he is. Ohayo, Ran!" He waved and went back to frying breakfast acting like nothing happened. 

Ran hesitated, seeing Ken in the kitchen. A part of him wanted to hug the boy from behind while another part was forcibly reminding him of his pact with Aya. 

_"No staying with Ken alone under any circumstances."_

_/Well, I'm not exactly alone with Ken. Youji's here too. Better act normal so the others won't suspect./_

Ran surpressed the desire to devour the familiar form with his eyes, slamming down a mask of cold indifference over his features. [3] 

"Ohayo, Youji……..Ken." Ran returned back and sat down next to Youji, shaking his head at Ken's offer of a plate of ham and eggs. "No, thanks. I already ate." 

Youji threw the two a quizzical look, looking from one to the other in puzzlement. Something was up. In times like this when Aya was not in the kitchen, Ran and Ken normally took advantage and exchanged little acts of affection. A short hug or at least a sticky sappy look. But today their greeting was almost too perfunctory for comfort. 

_/Did they have a fight?/_

Now that Youji was aware of it, he realized that Ken had dark circles around his eyes and they had appeared a little blotchy since yesterday. Youji stared at Ran who was obviously the one responsible. 

"What is it, Youji?" Ran asked impatiently, glaring at the blond for even trying to stare at him. 

"Nothing." Youji said. He shrugged. It wasn't his place to ask the redhead what happened. Ran would probably bite his head off if he asked. Besides, he could always ask Ken later. 

"Now what were you screaming in here for?" Ran told him irritably. 

_/My, Fearless Leader is grumpy this morning. Something is definitely up./_

Ran's prompting made him remember his problem and he shoved the piece of offending paper into Ran's hands 

"That, Ran, is why I was shouting. Why the hell did you change the schedule?" 

Ran perused the paper in his hand and frowned. It wasn't his handwriting at all, and he had not tampered with the schedule. 

"This isn't…" He racked his brains…He was suppose to be opening the shop with….Aa, now he realized who had changed the schedule. 

_/Aya./_

Ran sighed and thought about Aya. Aya's plan was simple enough, effective too, although it was painfully blatant, the way she chose to separate Ken from him. But an Omi she wasn't. She had forgotten to think about the details…such as a grumpy, complaining Youji opening the shop for the second straight day. 

"Oi, Ran!" Youji poked Ran. 

"Gomen nasai, Youji. I forgot to tell you that the schedule was going to change. Why don't you take the morning off for today. I can handle the morning shift on my own. Just make sure to be back for the lunchtime rush." 

"Thanks, Ran!" Youji said, his disgruntled expression changing to one of happy contemplation as he thought about going back to bed. "I'll just finish breakfast and go back to bed." 

Youji lounged back, finishing off the ham and eggs on his plate. 

Near the stove, Ken was fighting off the urge to turn around and talk to Ran, to offer to help Ran while Youji slept. 

_/No, I can't. Aya…/_

_/But its just as a friend, what harm can that do?/_

"Uh, Ran, I…I'm already up so maybe I can help ou…" 

"No!" 

The negative monosyllable was harsh and loud in the kitchen. Youji stared. Ken lowered his head. Ran realized how that must have sounded. "I mean thanks but no. It wouldn't be fair to give you double shifts." 

And with that, he pushed his chair back and stood up. "I'll go check on supplies then." 

With his back turned to them, pain and regret flashed through the purple depths of Ran's eyes, quickly covered up by a stony glare. 

_/Forgive me, Ken./_

As Ran left the kitchen, Youji blinked once, twice, three times at Ran's retreating back before he turned to Ken. "What's up with him? Did you two have a fight or something?" 

The hand gripping the handle of the frying pan tightened imperceptibly as Ken bit back the hurt of having Youji see the ruins of his relationship with Ran. He didn't let the blond see the sadness in his eyes as he put on his brightest smile and shrugged at Youji. 

"Nah. Must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed, is all." 

_/Don't pry, Youji, please don't!/_

But Youji, for all his talk of being sleepy, was too perceptive for his own good. He sensed that something was wrong. Well, after the fuss yesterday of seeing Ran drag Ken out of their apartment, seeing Ran come back alone and shut himself off in his room the whole day *and* the performance he put on now, something must be fucking wrong, at least to Youji's thinking. 

"Are you sure, Kenken?" 

"Hai, of course." Ken said, putting down his own plate on the table and sitting down next to Youji, smiling brightly all the while. 

He could feel the concern radiating out from the strangely quiet blond beside him, as if Youji was waiting for Ken to speak. But he would not talk in front of Youji no matter what. 

_/I cannot let you see what I am feeling, cannot let you know. This is my own problem. Yotan, please back off./_

They ate in silence. Or rather Youji ate while distractedly looking at Ken while Ken picked on his food. 

Something is definitely wrong. Youji thought to himself as he discreetly watched a still smiling Ken go through the motions of eating but was actually just pushing the food around on his plate. 

What else could disturb Ken's healthy appetite other than Ran? 

Youji shrugged at Ken and leaned back with feigned nonchalance. "Well, if you're sure. But you know Dr. Love [4] is always here to hear out your problems, ne, Ken?" Youji told Ken, smiling, making it out as a joke so Ken wouldn't feel that he was being pitied. 

_/I am not going to push it, Ken. I'll wait until you're ready to tell me what happened./_

From the shadowy recesses of the stairs, both didn't notice the midnight blue eyes and slight figure that turned to go back up the stairs. 

It was Aya. She had been listening in on the conversation ever since Ran arrived, a quiet shadow intent on the small group in the kitchen. 

It wasn't that she didn't trust her brother not to subscribe to their deal, it was just that she knew how hard it would be, this being the first day. She had watched in satisfied silence as she saw Ran uphold their bargain and rejected the brunette's offer. 

Her plan had gone without a hitch and Aya was pleased. 

_/Still…/_

Yes, still, there was a possibility. Aya could not overlook the pain and regret that flashed in her brother's eyes as he left the kitchen. 

_/Having Ken near him is dangerous. I need to do something about Ken-kun…/_

She didn't want to hurt the cheerful brunette because he was still her friend…her surrogate oniisan too. She didn't want to do anything drastic. But as long as Ken was near her Ran-niisan, smiling, being his bright charming self, the temptation would always be there. 

Yes, it was definitely a problem, having an unattached Ken-kun… 

Unattached…that's it! Aya smiled as a plan formed in her head. 

If Ken-kun wasn't free anymore, if Ken was happy with someone else, her oniisan would have to really give up on him. 

_/But who…./_

She needed someone who liked Ken well enough for this to be feasible, someone Ken trusted and liked as well… 

The last scene in the kitchen flashed through Aya's mind then. 

Of course! Who better to encourage than Yotan! 

TBC ^_~ Comments onegai? 

Yes, I'm bad. I don't know why the hell Yotan is going to be factored in and I honestly had no plans of making this a YouKenRan conflict….blinks at suspicious glares> Honest! But this is getting away from me. At this rate, it might not stay at 7. runs away before someone kills her> 

Ok defending my Aya….she isn't bad and we all know that ^^ she just *looks* bad ^^ whee! 

[1] Yes, its eggs again! And bacon! lol> I know it isn't a normal Jap meal but hey I love eggs and bacon! ^-^ 

[2] Eggs again and ham ahohoho! I love eggs sunny side up ^^ And yes, since they're Jap they might not necessarily have these things for their normal breakfast. They'd prolly eat something with rice. ^^ Which I do, eggs and bacon with rice lol>ignores weird looks from people> weird for westerners I would think sweatdrops> it's a culture thing hehehe. Anyway, I gotta stop rambling. 

[3] Oh yeah Ran-kun that's the way to act normal! (sorry, I can't help it ^-^; I just figured Ran would prolly do something like this and I can't help but comment. You guys know I love bashing Ran-kun. lol>)] 

[4] Yes, its lame but I needed that ^-^. sputters and chokes> Whenever I hear Dr.Love I think about a clowning Yotan. 


	6. Jagged Edges

Author: Swythangel  
  
Email: swythangel@hotmail.com  
  
Title: Phenomenal Noumenal  
  
Type: Series  
  
Teaser: Aya-chan has finally woken up. Will Ran be able to tell his sister about his relationship with Ken?  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Spoilers: Er, that Ran has a sister who was comatose the whole series?  
  
Warnings: AU, yaoi or maybe shonen-ai…  
  
Disclaimer: Weiß Kreuz is theirs, you know who they are so I won't even elaborate on that ^o^  
  
Keywords: Aya, Ran, Ken, RanxKen  
  
Phenomenal Noumenal  
  
Part 6  
  
The bell tinkled as the door was pushed open, signaling the entry of a customer and Ken turned from where he was arranging a bouquet to smile engagingly and offer his traditional greeting.  
  
"Irraishaimas…..se" The greeting never made it fully to his lips as he stared at the two girls in front of him with an expression akin to shock. An expression mirrored by three others in the shop with him.  
  
Standing before them were two girls who could have been twins, two beauties with the same raven tresses and bright happy eyes. One was very familiar, Aya-chan…and the other was also familiar, a face from the past…Sakura.  
  
Ken's heart dropped as a dreadful feeling came over him.  
  
/Not her. Not now. I can't handle this right now./ The freesia stalks crushed into a hand whose grip had turned vise-like.  
  
"Minna, I want to introduce you all to my new found friend, Sakura! Sakura tells me she already knew you guys so I asked her to drop by, renew old acquaintances."  
  
There was a well-meaning inflection in Aya's words and somehow Ken knew that Sakura had told Aya of her once infatuation with Ran.  
  
"Konnichiwa, minna-san." Sakura said, dropping her eyes and blushing when her eyes alighted on the redhead on the cash counter.  
  
"Hey there Sakura-chan! Long time no see." Youji said lazily, grinning at the lithe beauty while he helped Omi set up the window display, staying amazingly clean amidst the ribbons and twigs that littered the spot he was occupying..  
  
Omi just waved, his mouth was holding dozens of baby breath stalks meant to grace the main bouquet on display and he couldn't open his mouth to speak under pain of picking up said stalks from the floor.  
  
Ken dredged up a weak smile. It was all he could manage as shock set in. It tinged his skin pale under the healthy tan and did not escape the notice of his ex-lover's sister who watched his reaction with a penetrating glance.  
  
"H..hi, Sakura-chan."  
  
With that he turned away quickly to immerse himself in his work or at least tried to…because it was preferable to seeing what he knew would happen next…  
  
"Niisan! Aren't you going to greet Sakura?"  
  
***  
  
"I'm not hungry, 'Niisan! I'll just go up and do my homework." Aya said cheerfully as she waved to the three sitting on the dinner table before darting up the stairs. She was in exceptionally high spirits.  
  
The lecture Ran had for Aya on skipping meals died unsaid as his sister darted up too fast for him to stop. He glared at Aya's plate instead.  
  
"Ken-kun's not eating too. He told me he was too tired." Omi said between bites. "Went up to his room almost immediately."  
  
"You must be losing your touch, Ran!" Youji said laughing. "No one wants to eat the dinner you made."  
  
Ran didn't say anything as he picked up both unused plates and put them away. As he did so his thoughts were on the boy upstairs and what he thought about what had happened in the shop.  
  
***  
  
There are more than 10 levels of pain, each one of different intensity. A stabbing prickle, a bone-deep ache, a sharp thrust…Ken was sure there were a lot more. He was constantly finding new ones each day.  
  
/I'm seriously thinking of it as an art form, this discovery of pain and how much one can bear before one actually snaps./ Ken thought to himself as he stared glassy-eyed at the darkness around him, unmindful of the music drifting in.  
  
/Will I snap?/  
  
He seriously doubted it.  
  
/Through hell and high water, I have passed with Weiß. This isn't so much, is it?/  
  
It shouldn't be so much.  
  
/I didn't snap when I supposedly 'killed' Ran in that staged confrontation. I came perilously close to the brink but I didn't snap. If that could not snap me…/  
  
It really shouldn't be.  
  
But it was.  
  
Ken shoved his face into his hands, closing eyes that burned with dryness.  
  
No tears threatened. There weren't any tears left in Ken. They had all gone out of him after the third day. All that was left was numbing pain and emptiness punctuated by relief-giving bouts of small pleasures when Omi or Youji would do something funny or sweet to brighten his day.  
  
The past days transcended Hell itself. Ken had never had to try so hard to smile in his whole life. The simple act of stretching face muscles into an uplifting grin seemed to take more of an effort than it would probably take to lift a forklift.  
  
Who was it that said "It takes only six muscles to smile"? Ken would really like to meet him and beg to differ. It takes more than that…far more.  
  
It was fortunate that Ken was the master at it because although Youji and Omi might suspect that something was brewing, they'd never see it by the way Ken behaved. That much Ran could count on Ken for.  
  
He had been his usual cheerful self, going about the shop and apartments with the same vim and vigor he always did, complete with his usual nosedive trips. If they ever noticed the brittleness of the smile or the almost fanatically chipper mood, no one asked.  
  
No one dared take up the challenge in the velvet brown eyes. A challenge that everything was not as fine as they appeared to be.  
  
/Ken Hidaka! The Great Actor./  
  
But here in the darkness of his room, Ken could let go of everything and simply be.  
  
No smiles, no frowns, no nothing. Just be.  
  
And *being* meant being one big mass of pain.  
  
It was his idea of coping.  
  
Ken's theory was this: If he allowed the pain complete control, maybe, just maybe it would all run out one of these days.  
  
Of course the body's and the mind's remarkable tolerance for pain was legendary in and of itself. It might be a long time before the pain started to ebb.  
  
A long time…  
  
/No! I cannot afford a long time. I cannot wait for too long, not and still sane. I want to go on with my life, not be suspended in this state./  
  
Ken turned over unto his stomach and sighed into his arms, almost in time to the crescendo of the music that his stereo was playing. It wasn't the usual music he put on but his current frame of mind begged for this…Gregorian chanting filled the room.  
  
A blond head stuck itself halfway inside Ken's door with an unreadable expression on his face. "Is this funeral music? Did someone just die?"  
  
Ken glared at Youji and threw a pillow in his direction. "Idiot!" Ken grumbled as he flipped over.  
  
"Seriously," Youji said as he flopped down on the bed beside Ken, "this music gives me the creeps. It's like something you'd only hear in a cemetary or a monastery or something."  
  
"That's because it *is* something you'd hear in a monastery. Its Gregorian chanting, you uncouth boor!" Ken said, pushing Youji off the bed as he glared at the blond.  
  
"Ouch! Like you're any couther?" Youji said grinning up at the out of sorts Ken.  
  
Ken lifted an eyebrow at the grammatical error but didn't say anything against it. "And who said you could go into my room without permission?"  
  
"Used to be that I had a friend who liked having me around and wasn't this grouchy about me trespassing." Youji sighed dramatically as he settled himself back into Ken's bed amidst the brunette's protests.  
  
A grin twitched at the edge of Ken's lips at Youji's melodramatic display. The older assassin never failed to amuse Ken and despite his black mood it seems that Youji could still charm him out of it. "Used to be that *I* had a friend who respected my privacy."  
  
"Well that was when there was something private I could barge into and embarrass myself with." Youji said flippantly then realized his mistake as soon as the words left his lips and Ken's face fell at the unexpected comeback.  
  
"God. I'm sorry Ken." Youji put out an arm on Ken's shoulder. "I didn't mean for that to slip out."  
  
A glassy eyed Ken swiveled to face him with a cheery grin on his face and an overhearty voice. "Nothing to be sorry about, Yotan! Nothing at all."  
  
/Isn't there, Kenken?/ Youji thought to himself as Ken whacked him on the back and mumbled on about something insignificant. /A fool can see through this fiasco./  
  
Youji could see the strain at the corner of Ken's eyes and the almost wild cheerfulness in the bronze depths of his eyes. Each word that fell from Ken's lips was calculated to be cheery and to turn attention away from him. Like he didn't want to discuss the more important issues.  
  
Youji might not be saying anything but he knew the nonverbal signs too well. Could write a treatise on how to appear alright when he wasn't, actually. And Ken was far from alright.  
  
Youji was tired of pretending that everything was alright.  
  
"Ken." He broke into Ken's chatter with a seriousness that made green eyes soft. "Do you want to talk about it?"  
  
"Talk about what? There's nothing to talk about. You know I hear there's an F-1 race on for tonight and Michael Schumacher is going to --"  
  
"Bullshit!" Youji snorted. "Cut the crap. I know you too well Hidaka. When you lock yourself into your room and babble on about nonsensical things I know there must be something wrong."  
  
Ken blinked once at Youji before the cheerfulness dissolved, like wet cement against a raging river, and anger blasted at Youji. "Why don't you just stay the fuck away from my affairs, Youji. Nothing's happened. What if I just like to stay in my room by myself, is there a problem with that?" Ken's chin raised in defiant challenge.  
  
"It would not have been a problem, Ken, if you weren't moping."  
  
"Who's moping?"  
  
"You never play anything like this music Ken. Something must be wrong."  
  
"What's wrong about it?"  
  
"Its too…mournful and not particularly your type of music."  
  
"And what is my music?"  
  
"Rock, jazz, hell I don't know…. Just not anything this mournful."  
  
"Its *Not* mournful. Its chanting."  
  
Youji snorted. A particularly desolate voice rose up from the CD as if to emphasize Youji's point. "See?" Youji said.  
  
Ken glared. "Just shut up, Youji. Nothing is wrong."  
  
"Come on Hidaka! This is me, you're talking to, your friend! I know what's going on with you and Ran."  
  
"Nothing's going on!" /And I mean that in the most literal way possible. There is nothing between me and Ran./  
  
Youji rolled his eyes and sighed, picking himself up from the bed. "When you're ready to talk Ken, I'll be in my room, alright?"  
  
"And when you're ready to stop this nonsense, you can come talk to me."  
  
Youji shook his head at the stubborn brunette sitting on the bed with his chin jutting out with a look of concern. Through the tough façade, Youji could see the redness in brown eyes and the lines under those eyes that showed just how "alright" Ken really was.  
  
"Stubborn." He whispered as he closed the door.  
  
As he turned towards his own door, a voice interrupted him.  
  
"Youji-kun?"  
  
He swung around to find a smiling Aya looking at him with focused intent.  
  
"Why, if it isn't the prettiest member of this household!" He said, putting a flirtatious smile on his face. "What can I do for you, Aya-chan?"  
  
"We need to talk."  
  
TBC ^___~ Comments onegai? 


End file.
